Safety-gate for bridges



(No Model.)

I. J. CODDINGTON & M. POPP.

SAFETY GATE FOR BRIDGES.

No. 388,833. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK .I. CODDINGTON AND MICHAEL POPP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY-GATE FOR BRIDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,833, dated September 4, 1888.

(Yo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK J. GODDING- TON and MronAnLlorP, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safetyates for Bridges, which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure i represents a face view of an abut ment ofa bridge having our improved safetygate applied thereto, the same being shown partly in section; Fig. 2, aside elevation of a bridge having our safetygate applied thereto, the abutment being shown in section; Fig. 3, a detail view of the screw-shaft with its pinion and traveler detached, the latter being shown in section; Fig. 4, an end elevation of the bridge-draw; and Fig. 5, a detail view of one half of the traveler, showing the inner face thereof and the fork in position.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Our invention relates to safety-gates for bridges, and more particularly for that class of bridges known as swing or draw bridges, in which the bridge proper revolves upon a central pivot.

The object of our invention is to provide a gate for each abutment of brldges of this description, which gate shall close the roadway leading along the abutment to the bridge when the bridge is not in line with the abutments, or, in other words, is open, and which will open so as to leave the roadway clear when the bridge is in line with the abutments, or closed, the necessary movements to effect these results being automatic in their nature and being caused by the swinging ofthe bridge.

\Ve will proceed to describe a construction in which we have practically carried out our invention in one form, and will then particularly point out in the claims those features which we deem to be new and desire to pro tect by Letters Patent.

In the drawings, A represents the bridge proper, mounted to swing on a central pivot, A; and B,one of the abutn'ients thereof, it being understood, of course, that a similar abutment is arranged at the other end of the bridge. The abutment B is provided with a chamber or recess, l, within which the working parts of the apparatus are arranged, said chamber being covered by the roadway B".

0 represents the gate, which moves vertically in suitable ways, and which,when open, is sunk within the chamber B, as shown in Fig. 2, so that its top is level with the roadway 3. The roadway is provided with a slot, 1), for the passage of the gate, aml at each end of the said slot there is arranged a standard or upright, D, preferably constructed in the form of a hollow pillar, as shown in the drawings. Each pillar D serves to support a pulley-wheel, d, and there is attached to each end of the gate 0 a rope or cable, I), which passes over the correspondingpulley-wheel, d, and is provided with a connterpoise-weight, d, ar ranged within the pillar I). The weights (1 serve to counterbalance the weight of the gate C, so that the said gate may be moved freely either up or down with very little power.

E represents a screwshaft mounted in suit able bearings in the abutment IE and arranged in a vertical position. Thi screw-shaft is provided with a double thread, a, one portion of which is right-handed and the other portion left-handed, and the ends of the two threads being connected, as shown, so as to form a single continuous thread or groove.

F indicates a traveler mounted on the screwshaft E and moving vertically thereon, said traveler being provided with a central aperture, f, correspomlingin diameter to the shaft E. The traveler F is provided with a fork, F, journaled therein and fitting the thread 0. The construction of these parts which we prefer is that shown in the drawings, in which the traveler F is constructed in two similar halves divided horizontally, one-half of the bearing of the shank f of the fork F being formed in each half and the two halves being connected by screw-boltsf".

F represents an arm, one end of which is secured to the traveler F, while the otherend is secured to the gate 0.

F represents a gear-wheel secured on the upper end of the shaft E and serving to actuate the same.

On each end of the bridge proper, A, there is secured a rack, G, which may of course mesh directly with the gear-wheel F; but in practice we prefer to employ an intcrmediategearwheel, G, which meshes with the gear-wheel F. and also with the rack G.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: \Vhen the bridge is closed, or, in other words, in line with the abutments, the various parts are in the position shownin the drawings and the gate 0 is below the level of the roadway, leaving this latter open for traffic. Upon turning the bridge in either direction the shaft R will be rotated and the traveler F will move upward thereon, owing to the engagement of its fork F With the thread 6 on said shaft. By the time the bridge has left the abutment the gate U will be raised to its highest position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. and will remain in that position until the bridge is again closed. This upward movement of the gate begins at the moment that the bridge begins to move, and is completed by the time that the end of the rack G leaves the gear-wheel G, or, in other words, before the bridge is half open, thusinsuring a greatly-increased immunity from accident. \Vhen the bridge is again closed, the rack G will engage with the gear-wheel l, and will rotate the shaft 1 through the medium of the gearwheel F thereby moving the traveler i downward to the position shown in full lines in the drawings, the traveler carrying the gate downward with it, and thus opening the roadway to traffic.

ltwill be observed that the gal e will operate no matter in which direction the bridge is turned, and will always be closed when the bridge is open and open when the bridge is closed. Moreover, this operation takes place whether the bridge be turned end for end, or whether it be turned ninety degrees and then back to its original position. This feature is of great advantage in bridges employed where there is heavy tratlic and where the bridge is liable to be turned in either dircction,and also to be turned either completely around or only given a quarter-turn and then turned back.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction may be made without departing from the principle of our invention. For instance, as hereinbct'orc stated, the intermediate gear-wheel, 7}, may be dispensed with, as may also the counter-Weights (1. Moreover, instead of employing a single screw-shaft, 1*], two or more maybe employed to operate each gate, if deemed necessary or desirable. Various other modifications will readily suggest themselves, and we therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves strictly to the precise details hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a safety-gate for bridges, the combination,with the abutment and the gate proper arranged to slide vertically therein, of the screw-shaft provided with a double thread, a traveler mounted on said shaft and connected to the gate, a gear wheel on the screw-shaft, and a rack mounted on each end ofthe bridge proper to operate the said gear-wheel, substantially and for the purposes specified.

2. In a safety-gate for bridges, the combi nation, with the bridge A, pivoted centrally at A and provided with a rack, G, at each end, of the abutincnts I each provided with a vertical sercw'shaft, i th readed,asdescribed, and connected to the racks by suitable gearing, a traveler on said screw-shaft, and a vertically-moving gate connected to the traveler and adapted to be projected upward through a slot in the roadway of the abutment, sub stautially as and for the purposes specified.

FRANK J. (/ODDINGTON. MICHAEL iOlP.

\Vit nesses:

CA RRIE Fun ;EL, InvIN u MILLER. 

